Smart watches: what’s possible with what’s on your wrist?

It’s a well-known fact that smartphones are an extension of our everyday lives. They keep us in touch, up to date and so much more. So, how do smart watches add to our connected experience?

The beauty of smart watches is that they help us better balance our connected and real lives. As much as we love our smartphones, it’s nice to get an update in just a glance, ultimately, helping us give more time (and attention) to the people around us. No more phubbing!

The latest smart watches to land at TELUS – The 2nd Gen Moto 360, Samsung Gear S2 and the much anticipated Apple Watch – all have unique designs and long lists of features and apps ready to enhance your life at a glance, tap or twist. Here’s our take:

Why we love itThe new Moto 360 streamlines your mobile life, giving you more time to do the things you love. With multiple styles including rose gold, black and cognac designed specifically for men and women, it’s easy to find one that matches your personal style.

Top 3 must-have apps

IFThe premise behind ‘IF’ is simple: if you do one thing, the app will trigger another related action or actions. For instance, if you send a tweet from your smart watch, the app can instantly share it to your other social accounts or back it up to your cloud storage – all without having to pull out your phone!

Google KeepAre you an avid note taker? You can add notes, lists and tasks straight from your smart watch to your Google Keep account through voice commands. Have a thought? Just tell your wrist and save it for later.

Find My PhoneHow many times have you kept someone waiting while hunting down your misplaced smartphone? This simple and easy to use app always keeps your smartphone one tap away. Activate ‘Find My Phone’ on your smart watch and it will automatically tell your smartphone to make some noise (even if it was set to silent) so that you can find it!

Why we love itThe Gear S2 is the first smart watch of its kind for a few reasons. First, the Gear S2 uses Samsung’s own Tizen OS housed in a stunningly designed round watch face. Furthermore, they’ve added a new layer to the smart watch experience: the bezel on the edge of the Gear S2 can be used to easily navigate to your favourite apps.

Top 3 must-have apps

Yelp for GearDon’t stare at your smartphone while hunting for a place to eat with your friends. Get help from Yelp! A quick search from your wrist can result in hundreds of nearby restaurant suggestions and useful reviews without the snarky looks from your besties.

Smart ThingsIs your connected home using Samsung Smart Things sensors? Using this app gives you the ability to control and monitor everything from your lights to who’s using your front door directly from your smart watch!

Why we love itThe Apple Watch’s stunning design, awesome selection of interchangeable wristbands and large collection of native and third party apps make the Apple Watch a must-own for iOS lovers.

Top 3 must-have apps

InstapaperInstapaper is one of the best apps around for organizing web content to be read later. Using Instapaper on the Apple Watch takes your experience one step further. Not only can you manage your archive of content, but the Apple Watch version can actually convert the articles you’ve saved into speech. It’s like having a little wrist-bound robot read you the daily news.

ProCameraThe Apple Watch is already equipped to control your iPhone camera from your wrist, but with the addition of the ProCamera app you’ll be able to access additional tools to help you capture the perfect image every time! The live viewfinder, timers and remote trigger on your wrist give you full control over your shots without having to tinker with your phone.

iTranslateLanguage barriers can be tricky to overcome while travelling. iTranslate can help by translating more than 90 languages through voice input and output right on your wrist!

Once you choose your preferred language, iTranslate will listen to your conversation, register your sentence and speak back with the translated version almost immediately – all from your smart watch. Having the ability to communicate with locals on your next adventure might change your entire experience for the better.

Are you a newbie smart watch owner or expert? Our Learning Centre Experts can show you everything that’s possible with what’s on your wrist and maybe even a few new tricks for the self-proclaimed smart watch connoisseurs. TELUS customers can set up complimentary one-on-one sessions here.

Have a few smart watch tips of your own? Drop them in the comments or tweet directly to @TELUS!